What's your favorite Hard Anodized aluminum pots, for solo, 2P and 3-4p group? Making a list of hard anodized Al pots as a resource. There seem to be many good alternatives to similar sized Ti pots which are better for cooking in the pot due to better heat conductivity of Al (no hots spots like Ti), and hard anodized Al resists food sticking to it.

Many hard anodized Al pots don't have full specs listed online so hoping you can offer specs on the models you have (width, height, weight with and without lid, weight with and without handle if removable, etc.)

GSI has some nice hard anodized AL pots. I have the 1.8L cook pot that came in the '09 Dualist cook kit. The pot (with handles) and supplied lid weighs 8.9 oz. I also have the Halulite tea kettle. The pot & lid (with bail) weighs 6 oz.

(I know those numbers don't add up to 8.9 oz, so between the 3 separate pieces, there is an extra 0.1 oz that is not showing up when weighed individually. But, when weighed all together, it is 8.9 oz.)

The Kettle w/o lid & bail: 4.3 oz
The bail for the kettle: 0.5 oz
The lid for the kettle: 1.2 oz

I don't really have any pots larger than 1.3l … having said that I'm fond of my Primus ETA 1L powerpot – not the lightest but it's a good size and I find the heat exchanger fins do make a difference. But it's non stick.

Hard anodized I have a 1L Primus Alutech that is a fine pot and works quite well but I'm not sure it's any better than the cheap Coleman Max hard anodized set I started with other than rubber on the handles and a smaller/lighter lid.

For groups, answer is easy — Primus EtaPower 2.1L — weighs 8.8oz with pot, lid and handle (at least, from what I can tell looking at my gear list — can't remember for sure if the removable handle is included in that number, but I think it is since the pot would be hard to use without it). 2.1L is plenty of room to cook for 3-4 people and the fins on the bottle help fuel efficiency. I've used it extensively with isobutane setups, but I've also been successful cooking in it with a Zelph GoTo alcohol stove.

For solo or 2P trips we take a GSI Halulite Minimalist (0.6L). It's not the lightest piece of gear, but it's very functional: 6.1 oz includes the pot, lid, neoprene sleeve and silicone "gripper" (instead of a handle). It works well heating water for two people and the design of the lid and the silicone sleeve mean that it doubles as an insulated mug for hot beverages — that functionality is worth the weight.

In both cases, prices are cheap. The Primus EtaPower 2.1L can be picked up for ~$20 after discounts, coupons, etc. (check coupons and Sierra Trading Post right now); the GSI Minimalist is ~$22 on Amazon or other places.

I'm sure there is better gear out there, but I haven't found anything that competes with either option at the ~$20 price point.

Good idea. I've been turning more and more to HA over Ti lately; comparable weights, durable and so much cheaper.

I have this set from Four Dog Stove. It looks exactly like the Open Country set but the FDS website says "exclusively made" for them. The larger 2L pot weighs 4.5oz without the lid and 6.2oz with their lid. 5oz with a DIY pie-tin lid. Great for a group or even two people if you want to cook.http://fourdog.com/5-piece-hard-anodized-aluminum-cook-pots-with-lids/

Trangia has a bunch of UL hard-anodized pots and frypans in their 25 and 27 lines. I have a 1L pot and a 7-inch frypan, about 3oz each. Only drawback is lack of lids but easy to make from pie-tins, foil, etc.

Sumi I also found that the Trangia 27 and 25 pots and Four Dog Sierra set are perhaps the absolute lightest hard anodized pots out there for the volume. The larger 25 series Trangia pots are nice and wide at 7-7.1 in. width.

On the budget side, these are available from Amazon at $13. Listed weight at 3.2 oz for a 20oz (24oz completely full) mug. Downside are the handles – not heat resistant. Solid for the price point though and as a solo mug.

I also have the 2L Primus eta power pot with the heat exchangers. Can't say I use it for backpacking as I have several nice Ti pots (MSR Titan) which I prefer. I use it mainly for car camping. The fins and increased conductance of Al definitely make it much faster. I do have problems getting the heat exchangers to mate well with stoves with shorter radial arms. With my MSR simmerlight the arms of the stove get caught on the pot and you have to kind of shake the stove off while you lift up the pot. Also a problem is my Soto OD-1R, where it won't sit flat. The pot works perfectly with my snow peak lite max, and would likely work with most alcohol stoves.